Life after Helsinki 2007 Eurovision

  Late France Gall, Eurovision 1965 winner recorded only songs by her late husband Michel Berger in the 1980's and hit the international jackpot again in the 1987 Babacar album. That's how I discovered her again as well, and later digged into her older (and later newer) material as well as Berger 's solo material. Such great songs he wrote! Check out also

When you are riding high on success, everyone wants to be part of it. If Belgium - like so many other countries - may have been struggling to get big names taking part in the Eurovision, a few years of success has changed it all. After the success of new, fresh and rather unknown talents of Loic Nottet, Laura Tesoro and Blanche most every Eurovision wannabe of the yesteryears is lining up now from Natalia to Kate Ryan, from Gene Thomas to Isabelle A, De Romeo's, Belle Perez and Ozark Henry, most adding "if the song is right".  Peter van de Vleire however revealed VRT will be delecting once again internally and this blogger thinks they might stick to the young, fresh and new talent formula instead. (Something like Emma Bale for example!) Maybe they should, too, judging the videos below.... But then who knows? Maybe Kate Ryan does deserve a new chance after her 2006 disaster?

Belgium has been sorting out singers until now but now we are getting into serious business. Four entries tonight will be voted by a jury and televotes and only two will make the final line up. You can watch it online here from 20.30 CET. Tonight also the mysterious Day One with fitting song title - is it Kate Ryan or not? Day One - Whoever you are Eva Jacobs - Nothing is impossible Udo - Hero (In Flanders fields) Petra - Killer touch The jury had Eva first, Day One second, Udo and Petra tied third but televote lifted Udo with Eva to the final, which I totally agree. Eva and Udo are maybe oldfashioned and still need work with their staging (Udo, drop the dancers) while Day One believed a bit too musch to their masks and came across only wierd and unlikable. Petra was a cliche show burlesque number that was entertaining and fun to watch but who I want to hear the song ever again? No. A bit like I wanna, ...

This Sunday's weekly videos feature three Eurovision veterans with their latest, and one current one with his folow up to the smash hit entry. That is Marco Mengoni who has release the title track from his album as a single and what a great track it is, too! Pronto a correre , enough said! Another Italian, Franco Battiato has released another video from his latest album, Quand'ero giovane . Great lyrics and very Battiato-esque song, even when he was young(er). Then two ladies that failed to impress the juries in Eurovision even if being favorites. Finnish Laura Voutilainen has a new album out and the lead single is Karun maan kukka . She's back mixing pop and schlager. Belgian Kate Ryan is also back with a song titled Light in the dark . Enjoy!

This week we start with Italian Babylonia who have covered late Giuni Russo 's masterpiece La sua figura very nicely. (They surely have a good taste, they already featured Alice in Io sono il deserto previously.) Kate Ryan has joined Robert Abigali in Karma , sounds very much like... errr, Kate Ryan? Hanna Pakarinen 's latest is slowly becoming a radiohit and Jokapäiväinen indeed has a sneaky little way to get into your head....  Spanish superstar who was also early on rumored to be the Spanish Eurovision 2013 entrant Pablo Albóran has scored another #1 in Spain with El beso . And it's fantastic!

After two days of only Eurovision songs it's good to hear something else for a change. Like most everyone's favorite Eurovision loser, Kate Ryan! She's got a new fabulously dated video and song out, Robots . And who is going to be this year's Kate Ryan? The field is rather open in my opinion and if it isn't Loreen it just doesns't feel the same... Tooji won't make the same effect, will it? Or is it Zeljko? On the other hand Jónsi would claim the title already for the second time - if it existed already in 2004...

Two Eurovision fan favourites and failures in the result table have joined forces for this rather infectious little dance number, Little braveheart . Has Kate dumped another failure Soraya has her home girl? (*"failure" is used here with all love and admiration. They all should have done better!)

Ivi Adamou was internally selected to represant Cyprus in Baku 2012 already ages ago and today we got to hear the three songs she has. And adding to the little bit of Finnish in the Danish selection (and Lithuanian, too, but more about that later) we have a Finn amongst her songwriters, Mikko Tamminen for Call the police . He has already previously worked with Ivi. But it seems La la love is the early favourite and it's not bad at all, full of summer and beach, but this kind of song will hardly win the Eurovision, might even struggle through the semis (remember Kate Ryan, Xandee and co.?) Here are the songs: La la love ( Alex Papaconstantinou / Bjorn Djupstrom / Alexandra Zakka / Viktor Svensson) You don't belong here ( Niklas Jarl / Alexander Schold / Sharon Vaugh) Call the police (Lene Dissing / Jakob Glæsner / Mikko Tamminen)

Time to check out once again some more or less new songs and videos by Eurovision artists that you can also listen on EFR12 here. First of all return of Kate Ryan with Broken off her worthcoming album. She was once again rumoured to be the one for Belgium in Baku 2012 but no, she isn't it. Maybe one day? Igor Cukrov has released Fali mi , yet another great track from one of this blogger's favourite voices. Bulgarian creature Aziz has released St. Tropez in his true style. Last but not least Mixalis Hatzigiannis has released a video for his latest Tharos i alitheia and continues his success stroy with great songs.

The usual rumour mill is working also this summer. David Hasselhoff , Sasja Brouwers , System of a Down , Hari Mata Hari , Kate Ryan , Charlotte Perrelli are just some names that have been rumoured to be selected internally or planning to take part in the national selections. Falete has self candidated to represant Spain if selected internally... While Hasselhoff and System of a Down have already denayed any such plans today emerges a new rumour: Spice Girls want to reunite and represant the United Kingdom and do what the Blue boys couldn't: win. Or so thinks Geri Halliwell who accidently has a new album coming out..... When they will start talking about Dima Bilan again? Let the rumours run wild!

The summer rumours are running wild and some are just making them up to get some attention and who am I to deny it from them? A few days ago Kate Ryan announced she'd like to return. Her Eurovision trip went all wrong last time in 2006 with Je t'adore , from a hot favourite to a non qualifier. Another returner might be Charlotte Perrelli who was far from a hero on her return from the second time in 2008 even if the first trip as Nilsson in 1999 did take her to heaven . Mihai Tristariu promised already back in 2006 he will return and indeed, this news is out there every year. Just like Dima Bilan.

Kate Ryan leaves her French affairs aside with the new album Electroshock to be released this summer. The first single Lovelife is out now.

Latvia - Musiqq - Angel in disguise **** This is one of my favourites. I like the melody, the guitar, his voice. It's uplifting, groovy pop song, easy to sing along but... yet it never really takes the flight. A quality entry that will most likely pass unnoticed. I hope I am wrong. I'm not usually a fan of the Latvian entries but for once they have something I like and I'm afraid they will bomb! Let's see. Qualifier: Unlikely . Portugal - Homens da luta - A luta é alegria * I have tried to find a reason to like this, any reason. And I have found none. The melody isn't anything interesting, the lyrics, the artists, totally annoying in a bad way. Totally uninteresting. The only positive thing I can think about it the Portuguese language I love. Otherwise the biggest disappointment this year. But every year we must have a stupid entry and let Portugal have it for once. Usually they are so serious.... Qualifier: I hope not. Estonia - Getter Jaani - Rockefeller Stree...

Kate Ryan was a big favourite to win back in 2006 with Je t'adore but failed to make the final. Such a shock for fans similar surprises have been named after her ever since. This year it's not easy to pick up just one as both semifinals provided surprises, both personal and predicted ones. In the first one Slovakia was topping many polls and was in most everyone's list of the qualifiers. It didn't. Finland became a huge favourite at the spot and was also given as a certain qualifier. It didn't. In the second one last night both Croatia and Sweden were given as sure qualifiers, I personally thought both of them could win it all, especially Sweden. I have never in my Eurovision career been so wrong, since 1976. That is also the year Sweden last time was not in the final btw. So, like in Eurovision 1969 there are four winners this year for me. And mind you, there are more countries I would have gladly seen in the final.....

Chanée & N'evergreen will release their album titled - you guessed it - In a moment like this on May 21. Twelve songs in total plus one remix of the title and Eurovision track for Denmark in Oslo 2010. In OGAE fan voting and in most betting odds Denmark is leading but I don't get it. I think this will be this year's Je t'adore , which I liked though... I still think the runner up Bryan Rice's Breathing would have been a much better song but what do I know?

Here it is finally, Kate Ryan's biggest hits/covers in French all together on one CD. Ella elle l'a , Babacar and the new single Evidemment by France Gall, Désenchantée and Libertine by Mylene Farmer, Voyage voyage by Desireless, Toute premiere fois by Jeanne Mas, Les divas du dancing by Philippe Cataldo, Sage comme un image by Lio and her own hits Mon couer résiste encore and La promesse . Also included is Caminaré with Soraya. A couple of remixes wrap up the collection. But where is Je t'adore ? She did record it in French!

Jeanne Mas was - and still is - one of my favourite artists from the 1980's. I adored her! And now Kate Ryan, the queen of covers from the top female French artists has covered her first hit Toute prèmiere fois after doing Mylène Farmer, Desireless and France Gall. And it's good but missing the Jeanne magic of those her early years when she scored a hit after hit, breaking records and making firsts to female artists in France - and making way to artists like Mylène Farmer. Anyways, here's Jeanne doing it partly in italian and live. And ladies and gentlemen, la Mas has her Eurovision connection! More about that tomorrow... .

Kate Ryan keeps covering the big French hits from the past in lack of new material and after doing several Myléne Farmer covers here comes another France Gall one: Babacar from 1987. This is my all time France Gall favourite and I'm not so convinced about this even if Kate did a great job with Ella elle l'a . Judge yourself here http:// www.youtube.com/watch?v=A0jb0i3-cUw and here http:// www.youtube.com/watch?v=btcOZTwp1YY while act.1 Ella elle l'a here http:// www.youtube.com/watch?v=bQkB-WWzsbg and here http:// www.youtube.com/watch?v=cuJzoe1IoKI Are we going to get a cover of Poupée de cire, poupée de son as well?

Kate Ryan performed her European megahit Ella elle l'a (cover of France Gall's European megahit in the late 80's) along with her new single I surrender in the annual TMF Awards. She was nominated for three awards but went hope emptyhanded. Belgian national finalists Natalia and Brahim got awards instead. Watch the performance here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Iks6qdgUZFk and I surrender's video here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fUAUdYJe4I4

Kate Ryan has been having occasional Europeanwide hits since 2001. When she went to the Eurovision 2006 the expectations were high and she was a clear pre-contest favourite. However Je t'adore flopped and didn't even make to the final... Yet she scored another big hit. Her career has been build however on covers: Mylène Farmer's Desenchantee and Libertine , Cock Robin's The promise you made , Desireless' Voyage voyage and at the moment France Gall's Ella elle l'á . Each song has been a big hits previously, and has done really well after the Ryan treatment, too. July 30 Kate will finally come to Finland where she has had a lot of fans since the early days of her career... Enjoy some Kate videos here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hdJN0ss7jA0 , http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=60RzAR8I6kU&feature=related , http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x65k9dQScT8&feature=related , http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x_Hi1R1w1Pc&feature=related , http://www.youtu...